William h



(No Model.)

W. H. LEWIS.

PLATE HOLDER.

No. 388,057. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

| IIIIHI HH ill .Dw/enfar N. PETERS Pboto-L'nhographlr. Wampum D. C.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. LEXVIS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. 85 II. T. ANTHONY & COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLATE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,057, dated August 2.1, 1888.

Application filed J annary 28, 1883. Serial No. 269,224.

To aZZ 207101771 it nmy 007206772:

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM H. LEWIS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate Holders for Photographic Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in plate-holders for photographic camcras,where by the holder can be instantly adapted to any desired size of plate, and any desired portion of the plate can be presented within the field of the lens.

In the drawings like reference-letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a side plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates an edgewise view of the invention in vertical section. Fig. 8 illustrates an edgewise view of the invention in horizontal section.

The construction of the apparatus is as follows: a is an outer frame of wood or metal or other suitable material.

b are two rods or strips of material extending across the frame a at or near the vertical edges thereof.

a c are two plate'clamping bars, preferably provided with tubular sockets (Z on their ends,

which slide on the bars Z2 and act as guides for the clamping bars c c, and secure smooth sliding movement of the bars, preventingjamming by reason of one end going up or down faster than the other end.

0 e, 820., are latches pivoted at f to the bars b, and so formed at their free ends, and so located as to enter crosswise notches g g madein the bars I). They all swing laterally on their several pivots.

The latches e e, which are attached to one of the bars, and may be the same on both,but preferably the upper one only, are springlatches, as shown on the upper bar in Fig. 1, the normal position of the free end of these springlatches being somewhat separated from the bar. The plate clamping bars 0 0 have ledges h it along each edge, those on one edge being preferably somewhat higher than those on the other, so that the plates will be prevented from slipping off from the clampingbars. V

(No model.)

The operation is as follows: The size of the plate and the particular portion thereof which it is desired to expose in the field of the lenses being determined, the clampingbarsc are moved up or down along the side bars, I), to the needful position to properly hold the plate, and are there held by the engagement of the latches with the appropriate notches gin the side bars, the position of the upper bar being such that the spring-latches e 6 will be under tension when the plate is in place between the claniping'bars. Thus the plate will be held by the pressure of the springs against its opposite edges. The position of the plate may be adjusted laterally by sliding it to the right or left along the clamping-bars between the ledges h h thereon.

It is obvious that instead of the bars I) b there may be notches made in the inner edges ofthe side pieces of the frame a, and the sliding plate-holding bars may be guided in any suitable manner by a groove in the side frame, or otherwise. The latches will then engage in suitable detents made on the frame a, or in cogs or teeth formed in a strip of metal or other material attached to the side pieces of the frame a.

It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that changes maybe made in the details of construction shown by me withoutdeparting from my invention.

I claim 1. An improved plate-holder having an outer frame, within which are placed recessed bars on opposite sides of the frame, with which engage plate holding bars movable toward and from each other, the said bars being provided with pivoted and laterally-swiuging latches, which engage with the rccesscsin the 0 said bars within the frame, the bars having plate'confining ledges on their edges, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a plateholder, of a frame, a, notched bars 6, movable plate-hold ing bars 0, and pivoted laterallyswinging latches 0, adapted to engage with the notches in the bars I), substantially as set forth.

8. An improved plate-holder having an outer frame, within which are supported plate- [00 holding bars movable toward and from each other, one of said bars being provided with spring-latches attached to it, and which engage with notches on the frame, whereby the bars are pressed toward each other by spring action, substantially as set forth.

4. An improved plate-holder having an outer frame,within which are supported plateholding bars movable toward and from each other, and provided with plate-retainingledges on their edges, one of said bars being provided with spring-latches attached to it, and which engage with notches on the frame, whereby the bars are pressed toward each other and the plate held by spring action, substantially as set forth.

5. In a plate-holder, the combination of movable plate holding bars constructed and arranged to be clamped at predetermined places to the sides of the frame of the plateholder, and springs movable with the bars, and which engage at differing places,depending on the position of the bars with the sides of the frame, and whereby the bars are pressed toward each other by spring action and the plate so held, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New 25 York and State of New York, this 27th day of January, A. D. 1888. I

\VILLIAM H. LEWIS.

\Vitnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, S. B. ROGERS. 

